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About the library

The Library started life in the 1950s as the personal collection of Edmund and Ruth Frow.

Eddie and Ruth first met in 1953 at a Communist Party day school on labour history. They both shared a love of labour movement books and documents and realised how much they had in common.

By the late 1960s they had built up an enviable collection of works in their Manchester home. Room after room was filling up with books and their home became known as the Working Class Movement Library.

By the 1980s their house was at bursting point and the City of Salford Council agreed to house the magnificent library in an Victorian building on Salford Crescent. The collection has been there ever since. The library is now an independent charity, which relies heavily on the support and donations of individuals and organisations.

Eddie died in 1997. Ruth remained actively involved with the library until her death in January 2008. They were both proud that their love of books had created a unique and valuable resource for people wanting to know more about working people’s lives and political beliefs.